The sophisticated, French flavors of brandy, butter and tarragon season this golden-skinned roast chicken, adding panache to what is otherwise an easy and straightforward recipe, adapted from Christiane Baumgartner via her daughter, Florence Chapgier, a reader. Serve it with mashed potatoes or polenta, a soft bed to absorb all the heady, buttery juices. And if you’re not a tarragon fan, fresh thyme makes an excellent, milder substitute.

Roast Tarragon-cognac Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 (4-pound) whole chicken

• 2 teaspoon coarse gray sea salt or 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

• 1 bunch fresh tarragon, leaves and tender stems coarsely chopped (about 3/4 cup)

• 2 tablespoons cognac

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Pat the chicken dry and salt the bird inside and out. Transfer to a plate or baking dish, preferably on a rack, and refrigerate uncovered for at least 1 hour or overnight.

When ready to cook the chicken, heat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine butter, tarragon, 1 tablespoon cognac and the pepper. Rub mixture inside the chicken cavity and over and under the chicken skin.

Place chicken on a rimmed sheet pan or in a large, ovenproof skillet. Roast, breast side up, until the skin is golden and crisp, and the juices run clear when you insert a fork in the thickest part of the thigh (165 degrees), about 1 hour.

Turn off the oven — don’t skip this step, as you don’t want the cognac to overheat and catch fire — and transfer the pan with the chicken to the stove-top. Pour the remaining 1 tablespoon cognac over the bird and baste with some of the buttery pan juices. Immediately return the chicken to the turned-off oven and let rest there for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

Total time: 2 1/2 hours, serves 4.

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